From the monthly archives:

July 2007

Apartment Tower To Feature Integrated Wind Turbines

July 30, 2007

This 42-story apartment tower, under construction at Elephant and Castle in London, will feature a roof with an array of integrated wind turbines. The three turbines are each nine meters in diameter and are design to provide power the building’s lighting systems.

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The Greenest Skyscraper In India?

July 29, 2007

The India Tower is a 60-story skyscraper in Mumbai that could be the greenest in India. The developer is aiming to get a LEED gold rating for the project. The tower’s unusual rotated design was created by FXFOWLE architects. Each rotated section of the tower has a different use: a retail section, a Park Hyatt [...]

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Using Magnetic Levitation In Wind Turbines

July 27, 2007

Today, I wrote a post for TreeHugger about a company that is proposing to build a colossal magnetic levitation wind turbine. Magnetic levitation (or maglev) is an interesting technology that has been around for a while.

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553 Megawatts of Solar To Power 400,000 Homes

July 26, 2007

It’s the largest single commitment to buy solar power. Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) has entered into a renewable energy agreement with Solel to purchase renewable energy from the Mojave Solar Park, to be constructed in California’s Mojave Desert. The project will deliver 553 megawatts of solar power, the equivalent of powering 400,000 homes, [...]

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It’s Official: Toyota Testing Plug-In Hybrid In Japan, U.S. and Europe

July 25, 2007

Toyota has developed a plug-in hybrid vehicle for public road tests in Japan and plans the tests for the U.S. and Europe. (Cars that can run on electricity are much more efficient and economical than gasoline powered cars. They can recharged via renewable energy sources like the solar power and wind power. Even if the [...]

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Boeing Developing Algae-Powered Jet Fuel

July 23, 2007

Air New Zealand and Boeing are secretly working to create the world’s first green aviation fuel, made of wild algae. The fuel is essentially derived from bacterial pond scum created through the photosynthesis of sunlight and carbon dioxide on nutrient-rich water sources such as sewage ponds.The company providing the biofuel is Aquaflow Bionomic Corporation. If [...]

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Newest 5 Megawatt Wind Turbines

July 23, 2007

These 5 megawatt wind turbines are the latest to be raised in the Netherlands, you can read more about these turbines here.

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Latest Solar Tower Image

July 23, 2007

A recent photo of the 11 megawatt solar tower now operating in Spain.

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“Eco-Lofts” In Atlanta: 100% Wind Powered

July 23, 2007

Atlanta will soon be home to the Eco-Lofts, a condominium development that will run on 100% wind power. Located in Chamblee (just outside Atlanta), Eco-Lofts will feature loft-style condos that will range in price from $200,000 to $500,000. The entire building qualifies as EarthCraft, which is a local green building program that is similar to [...]

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100% Electric SUV Recharges In 10 Minutes

July 19, 2007

This SUV by Phoenix Motorcars is an all-electric, zero-emissions vehicle. It can recharge in 10 minutes, and it has a range of a 100 miles (or more) per charge. It’s fast too — it can achieve speeds of 95 MPH while carrying five passengers and a full payload. The vehicle uses the innovative NanoSafe [...]

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No Impact Man

July 19, 2007

No Impact Man is really on the cutting-edge of efficient, green living. This recent post is a good introduction to what he is all about. While some might think this kind of living is extreme, I think his approach to living actually very practical. It just goes against-the grain our very ineffective societal norms.

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Very Efficient Modular Home: mkLotus

July 17, 2007
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Storing Sunshine Using Flow Batteries

July 17, 2007

Flow batteries are a unique kind of battery — they have tanks that hold hundreds of gallons of the chemicals, called electrolytes. Flow batteries just happen to be very good at storing solar or wind power. Renewable power sources suffer from being intermittent, and less reliable for continuous power supply than coal or gas. Neither [...]

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Manitoba Hydro Tower: 60% Energy Savings, 100% Fresh Air, Maximum Daylight

July 15, 2007

The new head offices for Manitoba Hydro, in downtown Winnipeg, will be a model for extreme climate design. Winnipeg is one of the coldest large cities in the world. Temperatures vary 100 degrees over a year. The design of the 700,000 ft² office tower is targeting a 60%+ reduction in energy consumption, through the use [...]

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Optimal Toothbrush System

July 14, 2007

We consider the Smile Brite toothbrush system the most efficient and sustainable available, for two reasons. First, the toothbrush bristles comes from a natural source, and they don’t contain any synthetic dyes. This reduces the chemical load in your mouth. The bristles are harvested from special breeds of boar which have the fine, soft bristles [...]

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Portland City Storage: 175,000 SF Of Solar Cells

July 11, 2007

This complex is a storage facility to be built by Portland City Storage on the east bank of the Willamette River in Portland. It will have a glass tower rising more than 22 stories and enclosing a giant mechanical arm capable of lifting 40,000 pounds (to conserve valuable riverfront land).

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Convert A Golf Cart To Solar Power

July 11, 2007

A new product called the Sunray Solar Roof Kit, from Cruise Car, will allow most golf carts to become solar powered vehicles. It will soon be available to golf courses, resorts any anyone who owns a golf cart. The solar panels can generate up to 180 watts and supply 3 amps directly to a 36 [...]

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Wind-Up LED Camp Lantern

July 11, 2007

This lantern is said to have a very efficient wind-up mechanism. Apparently, you can get thirty minutes of ambient light from a minute’s worth of winding. The light can be placed on a flat surface, or hung up using the recessed loop. You can also charge it via a 12V car socket. Available from I [...]

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Ford’s New Plug-in Electric Partnership

July 9, 2007

Ford and Southern California Edison (a utility company) will be partnering in a joint initiative to test and demonstrate a fleet of plug-in hybrid electric cars. Ford will give the Californian utility a demonstration fleet of 2008 Ford Escape Hybrid SUVs that will be converted by Ford to become plug-in electric vehicles.
A Ford press release [...]

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All Buses Rides Are Free In Hasselt

July 9, 2007

The Tyee reports: Ten years ago the people of Hasselt, Belgium embarked upon a bold experiment: no more charging for bus rides. Ever since, they’ve been proving the idea can work wonderfully. This city of 70,000 residents, with 300,000 commuters from the surrounding area, has made traveling by bus easy, affordable, and efficient. Now, people [...]

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